DENVER — Brenton Doyle scored from second base on a wild pitch in the 11th inning by outfielder-turned-pitcher Jordan Luplow, and the Colorado Rockies rallied for a 3-2 win over the playoff-bound Minnesota Twins on Sunday in the regular-season finale.
With Doyle starting the inning on second, Luplow (0-1) went from outfielder to emergency reliever and delivered a 63-mph slider to Brendan Rodgers that got through the pads of Ryan Jeffers. A hustling Doyle slid head first into home.
The AL Central champion Twins open the postseason against Toronto on Tuesday at Target Field.
Sean Bouchard tied the game in the eighth with a two-out solo homer. Bouchard's blast was the first pinch-hit homer by the Rockies this season. It came on a 3-2 delivery from Jorge Alcala, who was just reinstated from the 60-day injured list.
Gavin Hollowell (2-0) earned the win by escaping a bases-loaded jam in the 11th inning. He was one of eight pitchers the Rockies used on the afternoon.
Twins starter Bailey Ober tied a season high with nine strikeouts as he pitched 6 2/3 sharp innings. The 6-foot-9 right-hander allowed just one run on a homer by Nolan Jones.
Next up for Minnesota, the postseason.
The Twins are searching for their first playoff win since Game 1 at New York on Oct. 5, 2004. The team hasn’t won a postseason series since beating Oakland in five games during the 2002 AL Division Series.
Jones had a homer and a stolen base Sunday to become the first Rockies rookie to record a 20-20 season.
Reliever Brent Suter got the start for Colorado after Chase Anderson was a late scratch with a blister. Suter threw a perfect first before turning it over in the second to Connor Seabold, who gave up run-scoring singles to Edouard Julien and Alex Kirilloff in the inning.
The Rockies finished the season with a franchise-worst mark of 59-103, but still drew 2,607,935 fans to Coors Field. They boast a young nucleus that features Jones and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar.
It gives the Rockies optimism they can make a leap like the Baltimore Orioles, who relied on talented youth to help them go from 110 losses in 2021 to AL East champions this season.
“I like the way our young guys play,” said Germán Márquez, who signed a $20 million, two-year contract with the Colorado Rockies in September, a deal that allows him to remain with the team as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. “We’re going to be in the playoffs in one or two years.”
KEUCHEL SIDELINED
The Twins placed veteran left-hander Dallas Keuchel on the 15-day injured list with a strained right calf. Alcala (strained right forearm) was reinstated off the 60-day injured list and outfielder Gilberto Celestino designated for release or assignment.
AROUND THE DIAMOND
Twins great and Hall of Famer Rod Carew turned 78 on Sunday. ... Rockies OF Charlie Blackmon played in his 1,500th career game.
UP NEXT
Twins: Gear up for the postseason, where right-hander Pablo Lopez is slated to start Game 1.
Rockies: Get ready for spring training, where they begin play Feb. 23 against Arizona.
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